Thanksgiving V ~

25 February-3 March:  This week, I was thankful to be indoors and out of the winter-y weather outside; thankful for the effectiveness of prayers I was sending upward re folks traveling to Spokane for Lay-Advisory Group Meetings (prayers which must include wisdom to proceed or to return or to seek shelter from the storm); thankful to share this message from Isaiah 61:10 where it is written: "Let me tell you how happy God has made me! For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and draped about me the robe of righteousness." (TLB); thankful for D.D.'s safe going out to Spokane and return through the stormy weather; thankful for the ability to move through my day without assistive devices (though I'm glad I have them available if needed!); thankful to read these words from 1 John 4:9-10 where it is written: "To us, the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us has been his sending his only Son into the world to give us life through him. We see real love, not in that fact that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to make personal atonement for our sins." (PHILLIPS); thankful for God's mercy and grace which flow like a river through my life; thankful to remember Pastor Jim's "Joseph" message that focused on "waiting". Many (if not most) of us find waiting difficult, but God's Word tells us: "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my [friends], don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them ....! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become [people] of mature character. . . ." James 1:2-4; J.B. Phillips Translation; and so I pray God will teach me to "wait"!   I was thankful for the memories that are stored in my head - what a blessing comes from the practice of thanksgiving, for the happy memories are reinforced and those less happy fade; thankful to be able to remember so many of the hymns and songs I've learned over past years - making melody in my heart is always a good thing; thankful for the assurance in Paul's message to Timothy that can be found in 2 Timothy 1:7, where we read: "The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control" (ERV); thankful for another new day of life, and strength to see me through its tasks; thankful for the up-to-date forecasts of the weather in whatever part of the country is home; thankful for this inspired counsel from 1 John 3:18-20: " My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves" (MSG); thankful to be one of the King's daughters, one who is profoundly grateful to be adopted into His family through believing in Jesus; thankful that the feathered friends are finding that eating their food on the ground is no problem (the feeder came apart and dropped from the limb to which it was attached); thankful for this thought from Job 23:10 where it is written: "... He knows every detail of what is happening to me; and when He has examined me, He will pronounce me completely innocent—as pure as solid gold!" (TLB); thankful for every new Sabbath and the opportunity for all the blessings it provides; thankful for the delight to be found in all the beauties the Creator has given to us in the natural world; thankful for the snow remaining this morning, reminding me of His promise in Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" - what a precious message!.